New Details: Takara's Panzer Frame J-Phoenix

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Anime fans take note: "That Gundam Guy" is involved in this one.

By IGN Staff

Takara, once famous for SNK ports, then famous for uber-crappy Tohshinden is on the PS2 development front with the upcoming Panzer Frame J-Phoenix. The game was shown in playable form at Tokyo Game Show, but today thanks to Japanese site EG Game Site, we have new details and a few pictures.

Mr. David Smith himself commented that the art design in the game resembled numerous animated series, and he, apparently, wasn't too far off. Heading up the game's mech design unit is Kunio Ookawara of Gundam fame. These robots aren't just static objects - you can fully customize them to your liking before heading out for a ground, underground, or air-based fight. In fact, the game is being referred to as a "Customize Action" game.

The story behind the game seems to be set in the future, where humanity has developed an emigrant planet called "J." One country on this planet, Arusaria, boasts a strong military backing, but this doesn't stop war from breaking out all around it. A top ranking general from the country is assassinated, and as part of the general's dying wish, you are asked to conceal the general's death and assume a dummy generalship, leading Arusaria to victory. We assume that somewhere along the way, you take to a mech and bring about carnage en masse. The story will progress between fights using some top quality actors out of Japanese animation, including Yamadera Kouichi from ... well, from everything, Tachiki Fumihiko and Kikuko Inoue.

J-Phoenix is due out in Japan in January of next year. Take a look at these new shots (which come our way via EG Game Site) and be sure and check out our hands-on playtest from Tokyo Game Show and our videocamera-grabbed video, linked below.